Halloween Candy Buyback Program for the Troops
October 31 is the day of candy overload. I don’t know about your kids, but mine guard their stash better than Fort Knox. I kid you not. Sure they get their usual couple of pieces the night of Halloween, but after that I limit their candy intake. (So, I think. Check out the nerds containers in my trash can. Kids, how obvious can you be?) If you are like me, you can’t wait to get all that candy out of the house. Here are some whine free ways to giveaway candy:
Give it to the Candy Fairy
Parents are so clever these days. I have never heard of the Candy Fairy. Have you? Well, the story goes that the Candy Fairy comes around Halloween night and collects candy for those children who didn’t receive any candy. To be honest, I am not sure at what age the Candy Fairy no longer works. But it is certainly worth a try.
At some point, you can come clean with your kids when they figure out that you are the Candy Fairy (along with the Tooth Fairy) and still have your kids donate their candy.
Give Candy to a Hospital or Shelter.
We use to give the candy to a hospital with a children’s ward, especially the candy that I didn’t give out. Giving candy to shelters are another good idea. The last thing I needed was to sneak a few Kit Kats here and there. Here and there lands on my hips and thighs.
Start a Program at School.
In the last couple of years, my school’s PTA has taken back candy for our military. They set a week period for candy retrieval. Given the mounds of candy that I have seen in the boxes, parents are relieved to give away the excess candy to our soldiers. For more details on donating candy to support our troops, see Operation Shoebox or Operation Gratitude.
Halloween Candy Buy Back Program
Halloween Candy Buyback program has partnered with area dentists to buy back your child’s candy. Some dentists might buy the candy for a $1 a pound or others might give the kids small gifts.
For more information as to who is participating in your area, simply add your zip code to their search box. In case, there isn’t an area dentist participating, you can send your candy to the following address:
Operation Gratitude/California Army National Guard
17330 Victory Boulevard
Van Nuys, CA 91406
This year you must send the organization your candy by December 5. (Check the website for changes to the end date each year.)
Use Candy for Experiments or Math
Learn about density using Skittles. How about learning how to add and subtract using M &Ms? For other fun candy experiments, see here.
Recycle Your Candy
If you have an upcoming party, save some candy to re-use it in candy bags or use it in a piñata. (See here on how to make a homemade piñata .)
Arts and Craft Projects with the Wrappers
Don’t throw out the wrappers! You can make a multitude of art projects with the wrappers. Here are some ideas:
Need Your Input
At the end of this article, I asked myself. Okay, Anna. You have given some great ideas on how to give away your kids’ candy. How do you get your kids to actually give it away? This is where you come into play. List your ideas below in the comments how you have gotten your kids to buy into the Candy Fairy or whatever.
Join the Conversation
- How do you get your kids to willing give away their candy? Bribery?
- How do you dispose of all the candy?
- What do you give away at Halloween in lieu of candy?
- How much of the candy do you eat? Come on. We all want to know.
We donated our candy for the first time this year to Operation Gratitude! The kids were happy to give away some of their candy. (One was more generous than the other). We had done the candy fairy in the past.
I also sort through the candy and pull out any that would add a great touch to the gingerbread houses we make on Thanksgiving.
I never thought about the pinata, like that idea! It’s costly filling those up.
Kimberlee, this is great. I am so happy that your kids were into donating their candy. Have any other ideas what to do with the candy? Anna